According to sources from TrekMovie, Cumberbatch will play exiled Eugenics War leader Khan Noonien Singh in Star Trek 2.

The character, a genetically-enhanced tyrant, was portrayed by Ricardo Montalban in the 1967 Star Trek episode 'Space Seed'. He was brought back for the movie sequel Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, in which he attempts to steal a terraforming Genesis device.

Furthermore, the website has claimed that Leonard Nimoy will return to the franchise to play Spock from the original Star Trek timeline.

Nimoy recently told CNN that he was "talking" with the filmmakers about coming back to the series for his eighth appearance as Spock in a Star Trek movie.

The untitled sequel is also said to feature Klingons in prominent roles.

The alien villains have appeared as recurring characters in the Star Trek TV series and faced Captain Kirk and the Enterprise crew in films Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

2009's franchise reboot included a scene with Klingons, but it was removed from the movie's final cut.

The Star Trek sequel will be released in cinemas in May 2013, with Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, John Cho and Zoe Saldana joined by cast newcomers Alice Eve, Noel Clarke and Peter Weller.